Thursday, October 16, 2008


 

"Coalition forces make every effort to prevent the injury or loss of innocent lives"


So they say, repeatedly, whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere. So if that was already the case, how is it that we can read this today?
Brig. Gen. Richard Blanchette, NATO's chief spokesman in Afghanistan, said commanders are now under orders to consider a "tactical withdrawal" when faced with the choice of calling in air support during clashes in areas where civilians are believed to be present. The goal of the order is to minimize civilian casualties, encourage better coordination with Afghan troops and discourage overreliance on air power to repel insurgent attacks, Blanchette said.

"We'll do anything we can to prevent unnecessary casualties, and we'll ensure that we'll have safe use of force. That includes not only airstrikes but ground operations," Blanchette said.
So evidently they weren't "making every effort" beforehand, since now they concede there's a lot more they can do (not including actually stopping the war, needless to say).

And how are those new "orders" working out? Not so well:

At least 25 civilians including women and children have been killed in an air strike by US-led forces in volatile southern Afghanistan, reports say.

A BBC reporter said he saw the bodies of women and the children - ranging in age from six months to 15 in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.
John McCain spoke last night, of how he is "proudly pro-life." Do you suppose he'll be condemning this butchery of human life, not of unborn fetuses but of actual human beings as young as six months? Don't count on it. Not that you'll be hearing condemnation from Barack Obama or anyone else in the U.S. "leadership" either, mind you.


// posted @ 10/16/2008 10:07:00 AM // 

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